Hit for Haiti

Friday night is date night for Karen and I.  Kameron is spending the night with his friend Jordon. I had gotten home first from the club and started to string 1 of the 4 racquets for the night.  I turned on the TV and went to the Tennis Channel #411 and there it was – The Hit for Hati in Indian Wells.

Karen got home from the tax office and instead of going out to eat, we ate peanut butter & jelly so we could watch this special event.

*~*

Steffi Graff and Lindsey Davenport vs Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin – a collection of 50 Grand Slam Titles.  They were wired for sound and Martina dominate the running commentary as the match was played out before a sold out crowd of 60,000 fans in an event put on by Larry “E” from Oracle.  It was motivated by Roger Federer’s event at the Australian Open in January.

There goal $1,000,000 for the Red Cross relief fund.

Round 1 – Ladies Doubles

The tennis was awesome.  Justin, who just a couple of hours earlier had fallen to defeat in the 1st round of Indian Wells was out there and loving being on the court with all these special players. Martina who is just 2 years removed from winning a US Open MXD title with Bob Bryan.  Lindsey, who after 2 children is coming back to play World Team Tennis and Steffi Graff who has two children with Andre and plays little.

Great points - huge Steffi forehand, killer Lindsey backhand, angled Martina volleys and Justin’s amazing quickness and backhand.  They laughed, tried not to be the first one to serve, talked about their children and were admittedly concerned about – not looking bad on the court.

Steffi said no tennis for her children – baseball. Martina said, “Why not, tennis is a great sport?”  Steffi said the kids have not shown any particular interest in tennis at this point.  What a waste of a talent pool! Steffi & Andre – got to be some great tennis genes in there.

Round 2 – Men’s Doubles

Rafa Nadal and Andre Agassi vs Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.  Not as many Grand Slam Titles but some pretty awesome players and points.  The tennis was a little more serious.  Andre was a crack up with a running commentary of ‘Trash-Talking’ to Roger and Pete.

Andre would predict how fast he would serve and be within 1 mph of the speed he predicted.  He joked about receiving Pete’s serve at a break point and joked that he had been there before.  He challenged Roger, smacked a few winners pass both Roger and Pete and hit a couple of aces. The tennis was high quality and high energy.

Pete was quiet as usual until he finally told Andre he was going to add some humor – he imitated Andre’s walk and how he tucks his shirt – everyone laughed. Then – OOPS – Andre imitated Pete by pulling his pockets on his warm up pants inside out and saying he had no money to tip.  THINGS GOT QUIET – there was an uneasy tension in the stadium and on the court.

Pete was visibly upset with the humor – everyone in the commentary booth sensed it as well.  There were a few more barbs tossed back and forth.  Pete told Andre he made it “personal”.  At one point Pete served at Andre who was standing on the baseline while Rafa was receiving.  Andre did not take well to that.  Rafa and Andre broke Pete and on the change over, Justin “G” went down to the players on the side line and tried to “lighten up the mood” on the court.

The mood on the court the remainder of the match was – not as much fun. Roger did a great job – as the neutral Swiss – in trying to bridge the gap and bring the fun back.  Finally Andre attempted to lighten things up a little but not with much success.

Roger and Pete won the match to 8 games.  Nadal spoke little as did Pete.  After the match, Pete and Andre gave each other a hug.  Pete said, “I love you Andre,” but you never got the sense that things would be well between the two.  Andre had written in his book about Pete being a bad tipper and Pete had not liked the comment then and had addressed it with the press and supposedly with Andre.

*~*

We were reminded about the true intent of the event and things got back on track as a $1,000,000 check was presented to Haitian Relief.  Tony Bennett sang “Smile”, a song influenced by the great Charlie Chaplin.  They showed scenes from Haiti and the coming of smiles as the Red Cross offered food and aid to the victims.

Karen and I never made it out on our date night – but she loved the tennis and seeing the best players having fun and for a great cause.  I got my 4 racquets strung and hoped for dry courts on Saturday morning.

• Ken DeHart Presents “Strategy and Tactics of Tennis” at Missouri Valley USPTA USPTA Master Professional, Ken DeHart was the kick-off speaker at the 2009 Missouri Valley USPTA Conference at the Homestead Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Ken presented a 4 hour continuing education course on Strategy and Tactics to more than 80 tennis teaching professionals and high school coaches attending......
• How to Keep a Tennis New Year Resolution.... New Year's Resolutions are like a road map for success in tennis, business and life. Resolutions are challenging to keep - everyone seems to say. So is the pursuit of our dreams and ambitions in the face of living day to day. What is important is to make our day......
• Aussie Land and Tennis Update #4 It is wet here and I have not had a chance to use my sunscreen in 7 days..... Cool, windy and wet - am I in San Jose??? Dan Santorum and I walked in the mist, wind and chill down Russell Street to Findley St and off to Rod......
• GPTA Keynote Speaker I was invited to speak at the Georgia Professional Tennis Association's winter meeting at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Atlanta, Georgia. The club is the home of the famous golfer, Bobby Jones. They have a trophy room with all his trophies, pictures and memorabilia. There is even a statue of......
• Australian Open Coaches Conference 2010 250 Aussie Coaches seated in Hisense Arena with the roof retracted and you get to present on the court that the top players in the world compete on.....  Great feeling. Looks like an invite back next year to speak again.  Sold all my DVD's and had requests for more.......

• Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, UAE and the XIX COPA BBVA COLSANITAS in Bogota, Open 13 in Marseille, Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis, and the Copa Claro in Buenos Aires This week in tennis featured multiple tournaments for both the men and the women. The women played in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, UAE and the XIX COPA BBVA COLSANITAS in Bogota, Colombia. The men played in the Open 13 in Marseille, France, the Regions Morgan Keegan......
• Review of Ty's Tricks by Ty Pennington Since tomorrow is July 4th, I've decided to take it off. There will be no blog post tomorrow which is why the book review is today instead of Friday. Have a great weekend everyone! If you're into do it yourself television, you've undoubtedly heard of Ty Pennington. He's been on......
• Tennis Profile for Roger Federer Roger Federer was born on August 8, 1981, and is a Swiss professional tennis player that is currently ranked No. 2 in the world behind Rafael Nadal. He was previously the World No. 1 ranked player for a record number of weeks, 237 weeks to be exact. He took the......
• The Powerball Is Here. Wow Exercise... Play... Compete Explosive, dynamic, exciting...addictive! The Powerball is a revolutionary new Gyroscope which literally explodes with mind numbing inertial forces once you activate its internal rotor! The new Powerball has so many functions, benefits and uses that purchasing one could almost be considered a lifestyle decision! The compact little......
• Tennis Preview: Rogers Cup In a preview of the Rogers Cup, we find that Federer and Nadal are returning! Judging by the name on this particular tournament, you may think that the winner for this particular game has already been determined. When you consider the results in the past two slams, you may be......

Andre Aggasi

We have all heard and even seen parts of Andre Agassi’s new book “Open,” the book is a “Best Seller.” Excerpts from his book have been in Sports Illustrated, People Magazine and hundreds of other publications.  He has been interviewed on the Tennis Channel, major network channels and the David Letterman Show as well as on all the talk radio shows,

Everyone has an opinion about what he said in the book, what he should not have said and what he did say in the book. Even my wife, Karen, who is a recreational player couldn’t put the book down once she started reading it. She kept me posted as to the “good parts.” Her comments about the books contents even got my son, Kameron interested in the book.

When we heard that Andre was coming to a near-by community center in Palo Alto, California we purchased the “premium” tickets to sit in the first 4 rows and receive a copy of his book as well as have it signed by Andre after the interview conducted by Barry McKay.

It was a rainy Friday in Northern California and most of my afternoon lessons were canceled so I did not feel bad about being off the court to go with my family to see one of my favorite athletes. The Commonwealth Club of California was the host for the event and it was a sell out.  We were lucky and had front row seats, slightly stage left.

Andre and Barry were on stage in chairs turned slightly facing each other with microphones to allow hands-free conversation.  Barry started off the interview with questions for Andre.  Andre was quite candid with his comments.  The topics ranged from how he got started in tennis, his feeling about tennis, his family, his matches, his use of crystal meth and most of the questions we had heard from the sensationalize reports.  Andre said he knew much of what he said would be taken out of context to make headlines and that was something he just had to deal with.  He explained that his comments were relevant to what he was experiencing at that time in his life.

The book was started 3 years ago when he officially retired from the tour after his match with Becker at the US Open.  The deadlines and pressure of writing the book has consumed his life and he is looking for rest.  The book was a journey to understand who he is and what his life has meant.

Because the book is titled, “Open,” he felt committed to being open about all the things, pleasant and unpleasant, that had happened to him in his life.  A lot of the information is very personal, but that is Andre Agassi.  He has feeling and is very thoughtful as well as truthful.

The radio “talking heads” talk mostly about his drug use and anything they can sensationalize from his relationship with his dad to his relationship with other players and his two marriages.  I admire his admissions.  We all have made mistakes in our life – it is how we respond after the mistake that makes us special. He chose a better path and is not afraid to admit he made some mistakes in finding that path.

I think one of the great things that has happened with Andre’s new book is that everyone including non-players are talking about tennis.  The other day at a local grocery store I overheard a couple of construction workers talking about Andre, tennis and when they use to play in high school.

As for Andre “telling it all,” haven’t we all done some things that were poor life choices?  It is how we respond from those that helps us all to be winners. Our life lessons can sometimes help others learn from our mistakes or realize they are not the only ones to face life’s challenges.  How many of us have the courage to admit our mistakes to the world?

Ken DeHart
USA High Performance Coach
PTR & USPTA Master Pro

Photo Credits: Carine06

• Review: A Terrible Splendor by Marshall Jon Fisher [/caption] "A Terrible Splendor" by Marshall Jon Fisher Review by Ken DeHart This is one of my favorite tennis books of all time for 3 reasons!!!   Here's why: A great history of tennis and the world in the 1920's-60's including World War I and II Amazing "inside" story line about......
• Hit for Haiti - A Hit - Almost [/caption] Friday night is date night for Karen and I.  Kameron is spending the night with his friend Jordon. I had gotten home first from the club and started to string 1 of the 4 racquets for the night.  I turned on the TV and went to the Tennis Channel......
• Australian Open Update #2 This is my third day in Melbourne as a speaker and my first time to Australia.  It has been an awesome experience..... Today I walked about 6 blocks from my hotel on Russell St down to the tram (trolley) which I took over to Hysense Arena.  I am the......
• How to Keep a Tennis New Year Resolution.... New Year's Resolutions are like a road map for success in tennis, business and life. Resolutions are challenging to keep - everyone seems to say. So is the pursuit of our dreams and ambitions in the face of living day to day. What is important is to make our day......
• Congratulations to San Jose Junior Tennis /caption] For the 5th straight year, the juniors at San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in San Jose, California have dominated the summer South Bay League play. With outstanding performances by the boy's 12's, 15's and 18's, SJSRC has captured the best records in league play. There are also divisions......

• Tennis Skills: The Player's Guide Tennis Skills: The Player's Guide is a paperback tennis guide by Tom Sadzeck. This book easily follows the formula which has been successfully used in "Golf Skills", "Hoop Drills" and "Soccer Skills", and Tennis Skills: The Player's Guide is doing an excellent job of providing an in depth look at......
• Lance Armstrong h4>Sports-Memorabilia -> Sports-Collectibles -> Fan-Apparel-and-Souvenirs Lance Armstrong is one of today's most well-known names, both in professional cycling and professional sports in general. Born in 1971, he went on to win the Tour de France 7 years in a row from 1999 to 2005, a record-breaking run that guaranteed......
• The Top 10 Worst People of the Week: Adam Lambert, Oprah, Jon Gosselin, and CBS This is something new I'm going to start doing with the help of my new writers.  The title is pretty self-explanatory, we'll just go through and name the top 10 worst people of the week and a little bit about why.  This post will probably be posted on Saturdays, but......
• Review: The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Tennis by Robert G. Price The Ultimate Weight Guide to Weight Training for Tennis is a tome which describes well over 80 different exercises and techniques for developing your tennis technique. These techniques span from weight training to flexibility and are used by athletes across the globe. The program that is outlined in the book......
• Heart Attack Victim Recovers In Stem Cell Research Study As part of a new stem cell treatment series, I am trying to find patients who have been helped by Adult Stem Cell research and therapy.  In May, I featured a Multiple Sclerosis patient named Arndt Roehlig who described his successful  stem cell experience in Israel in his own......

We as Americans are often quick to build up a champion then decide they have won too often, and that it is now time for them to lose.  How many times have you pulled for the underdog just because the other player has won enough in our minds?  That is one of the several reasons we become Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Dodgers haters.

What is great to see is not only the greatness of Roger Federer but people around the world still like for the guy to win.  Even the finalist at the French said he hoped Roger could win his Career Slam.  Seldom do you see someone continue to win, be on the verge of breaking records and the majority of people still pull for the champion instead of the underdog.  Did you see the amount of celebrities in attendance at the French Open from other sports?

Congratulations to Roger on his Career Slam (1 of 6 to achieve this title), winning the French Open, and being presented his trophy by another Career Slammer – Andre Agassi.  Most of all congratulations on being a winner that has earned the appreciation and respect of tennis fans around the world.  The action of the audience and tennis fans tells you what a true champion and person you are.  Their actions speak louder than words.

Photo Credits: y.caradec

• Australian Open Coaches Conference 2010 250 Aussie Coaches seated in Hisense Arena with the roof retracted and you get to present on the court that the top players in the world compete on.....  Great feeling. Looks like an invite back next year to speak again.  Sold all my DVD's and had requests for more.......
• 7 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Professionals 1. Be "Pro" Active Sure you have been teaching for years and may not need a lesson plan. But just as you would prepare to play a match, you still would need to review.  So, have a game plan for your student or opponent and think about your last......
• Hit for Haiti - A Hit - Almost [/caption] Friday night is date night for Karen and I.  Kameron is spending the night with his friend Jordon. I had gotten home first from the club and started to string 1 of the 4 racquets for the night.  I turned on the TV and went to the Tennis Channel......
• Final Hilton Head Report It has been a good week on Hilton Head.  Lots of meetings, good educational workshops and fun with the Kam and Karen. It is hard to describe how much of a "family" feel the pros have when we get together to discuss tennis, management and play. I lost in the......
• Day 2 with Ken at the International Hall of Fame Up early in NewPort to visit all the beautiful old homes in the city.  I take tons of pictures - even as I drive down the narrow streets, some with cobblestones.  The homes are from the 1700's and 1800's, big homes with awesome colors.  There are parks with huge trees......

• You'll Never Guess These Two "Investments of the Decade" True "investments of the decade" are uncannily hard to spot. When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 1999, technology was all the rage -- and Cisco was well on its way to becoming the world's first trillion-dollar company. Barely a decade later, Cisco trades at less than 1/10th that......
• Nadal, Roddick Advance at Sony Ericsson Open Rafael Nadal, the number 2 tennis player in the world, came away from the third-round of play at the Sony Ericsson Open victorious over David Nalbandian in a hard-won 6-7 (8), 6-2, 6-2. He's made it to the final after 10 months without a tournament win. He's seeded 4th in......
• Gulbis First Latvian to Win in ATP Ernests Gulbis defeated Ivo Karlovic on Sunday at the Delray Beach International Championships at Delray Beach, FL, on Sunday, making him the first Latvian to win a title on the ATP tour. Ivo Karlovic from Croatia, ranked at #33, was second seed and lost 6-2, 6-3 on his 31st......
• Federer Wins BNP Paribas Open Roger Federer defeated Victor Hanescu in round 2 of the BNP Paribas Open last weekend in Indian Wells, California. They finished 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, with Hanescu offering much more challenge for Federer in the middle of the match and fading pretty quickly in the end. Hanescu, a Swiss......
• What is Buddhism? What is Buddhism: Whether to call Buddhism a religion or philosophy is often debated. Buddhism teaches nothing about God, has no official scripture, does not attempt to explain the meaning of life, and its founder is not considered divine or even divinely inspired. However, Buddhism does express opinions regarding salvation......